Development of college student focused care in a psychiatric hospital: Preliminary clinical outcomes and future directions.

OBJECTIVE: The unique features of college experience make it essential to address escalating mental-health challenges beyond college campuses. In 2010, we launched college-student focused (CSF) care nested within an adult day treatment program in a psychiatric hospital. The CSF care consists of student group therapies, individual consultation services for hospital staff and student-patients, and student-focused mental health guides for patients and families. This study preliminarily examined the clinical impact of CSF care on post-treatment symptoms reduction. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: In 235 college student-patients admitted to the day program between 2011 July to 2013 January, we assessed the targeted outcomes of the CSF care, using a newly developed CSF questionnaire. RESULTS: Higher levels of CSF care-related outcomes predicted reduced post-treatment depression and anxiety, even after controlling for baseline clinical symptoms and post-treatment skills usage. CONCLUSIONS: These results highlighted the benefits and need for CSF care on a healthcare system level.

Factor structure of the counseling center assessment of psychological symptoms (CCAPS): Comparisons across college students in inpatient and outpatient settings.

This study examined the measurement model of the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms 34-item version (CCAPS-34) in 363 college student patients of a psychiatric hospital, and compared their ratings with national student samples treated in counseling centers (the national average). The 7-factor model of the CCAPS-34 fits well with data from patient samples. The measure showed measurement invariance across levels of care (i.e., inpatient and outpatient). Compared to the national average, the most apparent differences in clinical characteristics of hospitalized students were higher levels of depression.

Clinical profiles of college student patients in a psychiatric hospital.

College students represent a significant portion of patients in a psychiatric hospital. However, limited previous research has examined the clinical profiles of this unique population, especially across both inpatient and outpatient settings. To better understand college student mental health, the current study explored the potentially heterogeneous groups of students admitted to inpatient or treated in outpatient units in a large psychiatric hospital. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify latent clusters based on mental health-related struggles, measured by the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms-34, a measure specifically designed to assess college students. LPA results identified five underlying clusters: 1) negative affect (NA); 2) NA/alcohol struggles; 3) NA/eating concerns; 4) general distress; and 5) low clinical scores. Students who reported comorbid alcohol-related struggles or eating concerns with negative affect showed the greatest overall distress. The NA/alcohol struggles group was more likely to be inpatient than outpatient. Notably, the NA/eating concerns group, one of the most distressed groups, did not significantly predict higher levels of care, indicating that outpatient students may struggle as greatly as inpatient students. The current study provides new insights into the clinical profiles of the important, yet traditionally understudied, population of college students in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric hospital settings. Future research on college student patients is imperative to better understand college student mental health from both hospital and university perspectives.

Population-based initiatives in college mental health: students helping students to overcome obstacles.

College students' need for mental health care has increased dramatically, leaving campus counseling and mental health centers struggling to meet the demand. This has led to the investigation and development of extra-center, population-based interventions. Student-to-student support programs are but one example. Students themselves are a plentiful, often-untapped resource that extends the reach of mental health services on campus. Student-to-student programs capitalize on students' natural inclination to assist their peers. A brief review of the prevalence and effects of mental disorders in the college population is provided, followed by a broad overview of the range of peer-to-peer programs that can be available on college campuses. Two innovative programs are highlighted: (1) a hospital- and community-based program, the College Mental Health Program (CMHP) at McLean Hospital, and 2) the Student Support Network (SSN) at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. The subsequent section reviews the literature on peer-to-peer programs for students with serious and persistent mental illness for which there is a small but generally positive body of research. This lack of an empirical basis in college mental health leads the authors to argue for development of broad practice-research networks.